Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took responsibility for what he called "a breach of trust between Facebook and the people who share their data with us and expect us to protect it."
USA TODAY

In this Nov. 15, file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee member U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on nominations on Capitol Hill in Washington. Now seeking a second Senate term, Cruz has been outraised by his Democratic opponent, one-time punk rocker and El Paso U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who also has visited more of Texas lately.(Photo: Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press)

AUSTIN — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is under fire this week for his 2016 presidential campaign's involvement with Cambridge Analytica, a data firm at the center of a scandal over Facebook's user data.

Facebook last week announced that it was suspending Cambridge Analytica from the social media platform after reports revealed that it improperly collected personal information from more than 50 million users on the site without their knowledge.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued his first comments about the company on Wednesday, detailing what changes the company plans to make as a result of the data breach.

Texas Democrats have called Cruz's relationship with the company into question as more information about the scandal has been made public.

“Ted Cruz will stop at nothing to weasel his way into power, even if it means weaponizing stolen information to manipulate people to like him,” Manny Garcia, the party’s executive director, said in a statement. “Regardless of political party, this massive invasion of privacy should make every American sick to their stomach.”

Cruz's presidential campaign and the super PACs supporting him paid the firm for information throughout his 2016 campaign. Cruz said his campaign was told the data shared by the firm was obtained legally.

U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, listens to questions from the audience during a town hall meeting in February at Montwood High School.(Photo: MARK LAMBIE / EL PASO TIMES)

"Cambridge Analytica was an outside vendor that the campaign hired to assist in data analysis and online advertising, and they worked for the campaign, pursuant to contract," Cruz said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. "Cambridge Analytica represented to the campaign that all data in their possession were legally obtained and that they were in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and the campaign relied on those representations."

Cruz's comment echoed an earlier statement from his spokeswoman, Catherine Frazier, who also said the company promised the campaign the data was collected legally.

"The campaign relied upon those representations throughout our engagement, which were reiterated by Cambridge Analytica upon inquiries of the media back in 2015, when they assured us the claims made in the press were false.”

The firm also supplied information to President Donald Trump's campaign, but the company said none of the data at the center of the ongoing controversy was provided to his team.

Cambridge Analytica leaders said the company only uses data and information that has been "obtained legally and fairly."

"Cambridge Analytica fully complies with Facebook’s terms of service and ​is currently ​in touch with Facebook ​following its ​recent statement​ that it had suspended the company from its platform, in order to resolve this matter as quickly as possible​," reads a news release from the firm.

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, the Democrat challenging Cruz for his seat in November, took a jab at the Republican on Twitter over his involvement with the company.

"We also wanted to know what was on Texans’ minds,” he said, sharing a link to a news story about the data collection. "So we've been showing up and asking them in person at hundreds of town halls across the state."

Madlin Mekelburg is a reporter with the USA Today Network Austin Bureau; she may be reached at 512-479-6606; mmekelburg@elpasotimes.com; @madlinbmek on Twitter.